The University of St. Thomas women’s basketball team knows that you don’t have to be a professional athlete to give back to the community. They believe it is important to find something you really care about and work to improve it. It was this sentiment that led to the team to dedicate Sept. 21 to host a basketball camp for the UST Best Buddies Chapter.

“Last year at the President’s Day of Service, we worked with Best Buddies and made friends with them,” Mary Hansen, senior finance major, said. “We decided to do something more individual with them and teach them some basketball skills.”

The camp began with lunch, where the team and the buddies chatted and prepared for the skills portion of the day. On the court, the team ran through several training drills emphasizing the fundamentals of shooting, dribbling and passing. The team then organized fun games – basketball tag, knock out, and a relay race – to test the buddies’ newfound skills.

The camp culminated with photos and a cake to commemorate the event. Mike Ricks, women’s basketball head coach, said the event was a success.

“What is special about this event is the team came up with this idea on their own,” Ricks said. “In the past they have done service, and I think it is important that they continue to do this.”

The Best Buddies participants enjoyed the experience as well. The words of Sandra, a Best Buddy participant, sum up the experience succinctly: “We are looking forward to doing this again!”

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas, dedicated to educating leaders of faith and character, is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education. St. Thomas is Houston’s only Catholic University and was founded by the Basilian Fathers in 1947.